This week on Georgetown Time Machine, GM is checking out a fascinating shot of M St at 34th St.

The scene is so different now it might take you a second to orient yourself. This is the view of M St if you were to stand in front of the Georgetown Running Co. and face southeast.

The large building in the center is the historic Forrest Marbury house, which is now home to the Ukrainian embassy. At the time of this shot, it hosted a couple establishments. It appears that an auto glass repair shop was on the corner of 34th. Then next door was Julie’s Cafe. And upstairs there was an antiques store and art gallery called Studio 33.

This building would famously host the Desperados and Wax Museum nightclubs before it became an embassy.

The rest of the row of stores is what is now Cady’s Alley. It’s hard to make out what the other stores are, but they surely sold cheaper stuff than what you’ll find there now.

Lastly, the other striking thing about this photo is the street itself. It was still partially cobblestoned. You often here Georgetown described as “cobblestoned” when in fact only a small number of blocks have them (and technically speaking they have pavers, not cobblestones). Perhaps the description dates to when streets like M St. looked like this?

As for dates, the best GM can figure is the mid 1950s. He found a bunch of listings for the Studio 33 in the mid to late 50s, but they stop by 1957. That plus the appearance of the cars would suggest a mid to late 50’s date.

3 responses to “Georgetown Time Machine: West M St.”

In this block in the late 60’s and 70’s there such businesses as an Army-Navy Supply Store, a retail store selling refrigerators and stoves, an Indian restaurant named Tandoor, a great sandwich shop known for its hamburgers, and Desperados, which was right across the street from the legendary Cellar Door, Eagles Liquors, and a Little Tavern. It was a busy block.